E E R F NEWFOUNDLAND'S ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER / MARCH 2017 / ST. JOHN’S / ISSUE 38 the death of media Real News is in a Real Crisis PAGE 16 NEWFOUNDLAND CIDER COMPANY PAGE 5 #BURGERBATTLE RESULTS PAGE 6 Mindful Strength IMMERSION WORKSHOP KATHRYN BRUNI-YOUNG | APRIL 8 +9 WITH Saturday April 8th | 2-5pm Sunday April 9 th | 2-5pm 100$ BOTH 60$ SINGLE 10% FOR VIP WORKSHOPS WORKSHOP MEMBERS OFF FOR DETAILED WORKSHOP OUTLINE VISIT MOKSHAYOGASTJOHNS.COM ST. JOHN’S 223-233 DUCKWORTH STREET | 709.753.0206 | Follow Us On 2 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST LETTER TO THE EDITOR Canadians Hold Trudeau's Feet GOT Letter to the Editor to the Fire Over Electoral Reform SOMETHING Page 3 TO SAY? Send your 500-750 Food & Drink word letter to chad@ Page 4-7 theovercast.ca Buried on the third page of the Prime 567 people who attended town halls, 574 Unsurprisingly, News & Perspectives Minister’s mandate letter to the Minister people who submitted briefs, almost 22,500 the results indicate, Page 8-12 of Democratic Institutions were 5 brief who responded to the ERRE online survey, and “many Canadians simultaneously hold Events lines about electoral reform, concluding the resulting 327-page report. preferences for various attributes that Page 13 with “changing the electoral system are commonly associated with different will not be in your mandate.” Taking a page from Trump’s book, Trudeau’s families of electoral systems.” The Trudeau Cover Story claim that Canadians do not have a preference government got just what it asked for: Page 14-15 And with that, the Liberals brushed off their for a new electoral system is vague and an excuse. The Arts shoulders and moved on from their promise oversimplified at best. Or is it a sign that Page 16-19 that 2015 would be the last first-past-the- “alternative facts” have made their way into We are calling on the PM to reaffirm his Plucked from the web post election. Canadian political rhetoric? commitment to electoral reform and to Page 20 get to work on crafting a made-in-Canada While Canadians are in mourning and fighting The fact is that the ERRE found that the vast electoral system that reflects our diversity, Retail for the civil liberties of Muslims here and majority of participants preferred electoral and our values. In the Prime Minister’s own Page 21 around the world, Trudeau had hoped that reform, mainly proportional representation (over words from the mandate letter to Minister People Electoral Reform would be far from our 70% for both). The MyDemocracy.Ca survey, Gould, “Canadians expect us to fulfill our Page 22-23 minds. But Canadians will not be fooled however, did not ask participants whether they commitments, and it is my expectation that by his sleight of hand. want to change or maintain the current system, you will do your part in delivering on those Miscellany or to weigh their values and priorities. promises to Canadians.” - CAITLIN URQUHART Page 24-26 We all benefit from more democratic, more representative elections. (Side bar: if the US had had a proportional representation electoral March 2017 system, we would be talking about President Issue 38 Clinton (or Sanders), not President Trump.) PUBLISHER & EDITOR Chad Pelley ([email protected]) More than 10,000 people expressed their interest in holding Trudeau to account on DESIGNER Mira Howards ([email protected]) electoral reform through a Facebook event I created shortly after the election, called STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER “Trudeau Promised Electoral Reform,” to Joel Upshall ([email protected]) follow up on the Liberals' promise of reform AD SALES MANAGER legislation within 18 months. Elaine Pond ([email protected]) Since the Liberals announced that they were CHIEF STAFF WRITER Eva Crocker ([email protected]) reneging on their promise, the event page has been flooded with posts planning protests, Most capital cities in Canada have an petitions, and writing to their MPs. However, alternative paper that covers the culture of their province, but few provinces have the more disturbing than the PM walking away thriving arts scene, vibrant entrepreneurs, and from a key election promise, is the rationale. paper-worthy stories that our province has to Trudeau points to irrelevant and misleading offer. Newfoundland’s culture needs a voice and data as though it were conclusive proof and The Overcast aims to be this voice. In addition to our monthly paper, TheOvercast.ca posts ignores the facts. fresh and exclusive content on weekdays. All opinions in this publication reflect the author He states that the Electoral Reform committee of the article, not The Overcast. (“ERRE”) has done “tremendous work,” and COVER CREDIT: istock.com notes that 360,000 individuals engaged UNCREDITED ARTICLES: Chad Pelley through mydemocracy.ca, but makes no UNCREDITED IMAGES: Shutterstock.com mention of the extensive study of electoral theovercast.ca systems, the consultations with 196 witnesses, NEWS & OPINIONS 3 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST CHEERS TO THAT! A GUIDE TO TWO CAST IRON SEASONING This is all a lot of work – but – The oil you choose to know the joy of 3 WAYS to Winterize Classic Cocktails a well maintained COOKWARE is like the cement cast-iron pan is under your house – worth whatever the cost. right type and right BY CHAD PELLEY method make a happy home. When Snoddon's predicting a snowday in Newfoundland, BY BADGE the only thing longer than the lineup at grocery stores, is the “Drying oils” are a type of oil whose particles, lineup at liquor stores. If we're going to spend our snowdays under the conditions of high-heat and Cast-Iron is just steel, but presence of a catalyst (like cast-iron), loose buzzed, we might as well be seasonally appropriate about it. smelted with a higher percentage an OH group and bond together forming a Here are 3 ways to winterize classic cocktails, for a heartier of carbon. It is much rougher layer that behaves like plastic. punch of warmth and spice in the cold darkness of winter. and more brittle. This roughness The only edible drying oils are Linseed and is what makes it such a pain in Flaxseed oil. You can get them in the health the ass to work with. Teflon non- food section (at Sobeys). THE COGNAC 75 If you know your way around a bar, you know a • 2 shots of cognac stick pans are to cast-iron what Rub the oil with a paper towel, thinly, all French 75 is gin + champagne + lemon juice + • 1 shot of lemon juice skating rinks are to gravel-pits. over the pan so as to not let any pool on the sugar. In France, you can just order "a 75," and drop • 1 shot of simple syrup surface. Then set your oven to the highest saying French 75. A barkeep named Harry MacElhone (dissolve some sugar in How she goes: Iron is polar, so it dissolves setting and pop the pan in as it preheats and is credited with creating this drink around WWI, at hot water) in water and rusts. Fats are non-polar and leave it for an hour. Remove the blacksmith- "Harry's New York Bar" in Paris. The name came • 2 splashes or so of dissolve in other fats and oils. “Cooking” is hot pan (carefully) and let it cool for 45 mins from the kick of the drink, that was said to feel like champagne (or any really a series of state-shifts in proteins that and repeat this process 3 to 6 more times being shot by a French 75 gun.To winterize this sparkling white) classic, swap out your gin for • Shake the cognac, lemon change their properties. In doing so, they depending on how cheap your pan is. Cheap Cognac. Cognac is a bigger, juice, and simple syrup release water and other materials from their pan = poorly smelted = rougher surface = more velvety, and seasonally with ice, strain into a glass, structure. These changes leave molecular needs more seasoning. appropriate substitute for the add the sparkling wine, and gaps in the material, and because your iron summer brightness of gin. garnish with a lemon twist. pan is ionic, it just DIES for bonding with THREE your food and ruining your eggs. We mitigate HOW TO CLEAN YOUR this sticking by using fat and old burned CAST IRON PAN up carbon to fill in the nooks and crannies, THE AGED RUM DAIQUIRI and separate the food from the greedy iron. Scrape out any food and give it a quick A Daiquiri isn't a specific drink, so much as a family • 2 shots of aged rum These materials combine to create a layer of scrub with salt and hot water. of drinks born out of Cuba. The standard "Daiquiri" • 1 shot fresh lime “seasoning” which turns regular iron slabs family of drinks loosely means white rum, citrus or blood orange juice into objects of straight-up folklore. If the grime persists: fill the pan with a small juice (traditionally lime), and simple syrup. It's • Almost a shot of amount of water and heat it over the burner generally a summer drink, topped with an umbrella simple syrup ONE until it begins to boil. Run a flat spatula and everything.To winterize this one, add some • Shake all RESETTING warmth and spice by substituting white rum for aged ingredients around the surface to loosen up the burned spiced rum. Blood oranges are in season now too, over ice, on parts. If you still have burned-on food, you Assuming your pan is new, or kinda messed- so, maybe a blood orange instead of a lime. strain. may have shagged up your seasoning layer up from improper use; the first thing you and it is time to go back to part 1 of this guide. gotta do is reset its seasoning layer. THE BOULEVARDIER Try to refrain from using soap as it will strip the You can do this by placing the built up layers of seasoning. Do not leave The Negroni is a bold Italian classic you'll find on • 3 shots of Rye cast-iron pan in your most bar menus. Although everyone balances it • 1.5 shots of Campari cast iron pans to soak as they will oven at the highest differently, and argues over which brands to use, in • 1.5 shots of sweet rust and consequently suck at their setting for several its simplest terms it is equal parts Gin, Sweet (red) vermouth job. This is all, of course, a lot of hours - waiting for Vermouth, and Campari, garnished with an orange • Stir with ice, strain into work – but – to know the joy of the pan to cool - twist.The Boulevardier is a twist on the negroni. a coupe glass, and a well maintained cast- and scrubbing the You swap out the brightness of gin for the burn and garnish with an orange life out of it with iron pan is worth warmth of a whiskey (go for a rye, actually). peel or twist. a scour pad. whatever the cost. 4 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST FOOD & DRINKS NEWFOUNDLAND CIDER Local Lunches COMPANY PUTTING NEGLECTED Rocket for Less than $10 Bakery & APPLE TREES TO WORK Fresh Food 272 Water BY EMILY DEMING Street BY LAUREN POWER BREAKFAST BURRITO $6.95 Breakfast for lunch is always a good idea. Plenty of freshly cooked spinach and the scrambled egg was fluffy. Respectable amount of cheese. There’s a tap dedicated to cider at most pubs in “THE ROCKET” CHICKEN SANDWICH $8.50 This is a good grab ’n go option. Newfoundland, but the beverage doesn’t have the Soft, multigrain bread, chunks of white meat, raw spinach, tomato, cheddar, same popularity that it has in areas like the United Kingdom, and mayo-mustard. I wanted to eat it again right away, not where it’s widely available in multiple varieties and styles, because it wasn’t big enough, but because it captured a true Y simple essence of “sandwich.” from dry to sweet. R E K A B ET ATMOSPHERE Rocket has a lock on Chris Adams and Marc Poirier are hoping to raise the stature of cider with their venture, the K OC welcoming decor. It is a nice place to be in Newfoundland Cider Company. The co-owners of the artisan cider company are dedicated to R M/ any weather, in any mood. I love the easy- making cider in the traditional way, inspired by Adams’ time in Ireland. “On moving back to O M.C access, self-serve ice water, sometimes Newfoundland seven years ago, he was disappointed to see what was being passed off as GRA infused with fresh citrus. The ordering/ cider...” says Poirier. Though he gives the nod to ciders from YellowBelly, and No Boats on STA queueing system is still not intuitive, no Sunday (usually available at the NLC and several local restaurants), he felt that NL was lacking N S: I matter how many times they re-arrange it. in decent ciders. “At the same time, Chris noticed all the wild and neglected apple trees in his O OT hometown, so he decided to start making cider…” says Poirier. “Both of us have been making H P cider as a hobby for years, so we decided to explore the possibility of turning this hobby into an exciting business venture.” Adams is a horticulturist by trade, and acts as cider maker, while Poirier has a forestry background and is an arborist by trade, so he’s been spending most of his time in the orchard, caring for the trees. “Most of the apples that we use are wild apple varieties foraged from the sea front and forest,” says Poirier. “We also aim to develop Newfoundland's very first commercial apple orchard. Our goal is to create a cider that is 100% local made entirely from local ingredients.” “It’s our aim to have three different ciders available this fall: year barrel aged, botanical, and regular semi-sweet,” says Poirier, who is crafting the ciders to taste more like traditional European ciders. “Our ciders will range from sweet to dry, still to sparkling, and we will use botanical flavours from locally foraged ingredients.” According to Poirier, the consumption of cider in Newfoundland has increased almost fourfold since 2010. He goes on to say that much of it is coming from breweries that rely on imported ingredients, then injected with artificial flavours. “Small micro-breweries are appearing throughout the province in response to the increasing trend towards locally produced food and CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN CUISINE drink,” says Poirier. “Although we have a challenging climate, certain varieties of apples can INSPIRED COCKTAILS grow here and do quite well.” CRAFT BEER As a small batch cider company, their first goal is to produce a few thousand liters of cider in 2017, have their cidery open to the public this fall, then expand. The Cidery is based out of Milton, at the gateway to the Bonavista peninsula. Along with selling cider from the cidery, they plan to sell semi-sweet regular cider in NLC stores. 281 DUCKWORTH STREET 709-722-7386 | setokitchenandbar.com | setokitchenbar Follow the Newfoundland Cider Company’s first year on Instagram @newfoundlandcidercompany FOOD & DRINKS 5 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST #BurgerBattle Mikey and Emily Disrespectfully (dis)Agree Critic's Pick Seto Kitchen + Bar Editor's Pick Chinched Bistro People's Choice The Merchant Tavern that is true), but because I lived in IN-N-OUT territory. The spiced sausage patties were toothsome; one of the best tasting patties in the battle. Big Fun. Very successful! EXILE MIKE: I really like when a burger goes for a theme, and this one is essentially an Indian food burger. I think it all worked wonderfully M together. I just wish it had a fistful more O C S. cilantro. EMILY: Disagree! The burger and L XE pakora were both heavily spiced along the E P O: same flavour wave whose resulting resonance T O destroyed the otherwise well designed H P taste-structure. But, yes, more cilantro or maybe raita, could have separated the spice BY EMILY DEMING but I was wrong. It was sensible, well tasted nicely chargrilled and deserved more frequencies with a wash of freshness. The & MIKE HANNAFORD proportioned, delicious, and the aioli went slaw and less pastiche. carrot pickle (delicious! not sad!) did heroic really well with the apple relish. The pepper work, but he needed reinforcements. jack should have stood out more; could see it, CELTIC HEARTH We ate 15 burgers in 6 days, couldn’t taste it. EMILY: Agree! What sounded MIKE: A straightforward design, and that’s THE FIFTH TICKET and we battled throughout. like a sauce fiasco was balanced even from a not a bad thing. Reminded me of cabin bbq MIKE: As opposed to the Bernard Stanley entry, spatial perspective - sweet on top, savoury afternoons, and that’s always a good thing. this one actually worked better on paper. I Before you read this, you should know that at the bottom. Easy to eat without being EMILY: Agree! Chargrilled patty shot and found the beef rather bland and dry, and the A.) Mike is wrong about pork belly. B.) We dry, zero structural integrity issues. A well dressed right for a smooth, slightly sweet bun didn’t do it any structural integrity favours. reviewed these “on a curve.” The field was engineered burger. flavour. The rhubarb mayo was just enough Serviceable, but not a lot of flavour going on stellar overall, but war is war. C.) We both to compensate for the inherent leanness of here. EMILY: Agree! The bun was good but agree that structural integrity is one of the BLUE ON WATER moose meat. couldn’t hold up to the very cooked patty. fundamental corners upon which is built the MIKE: It looked beautiful, but it was as if Despite the list of ingredients, there just wasn’t awesome pyramid of burgerdom. I hope you three sets of burger parts couldn’t afford CHINCHED BISTRO enough there in reality between the burger and all have as much fun disagreeing with our their own bun so they all chipped in on one MIKE: The Pig Mac really is a larger than life bun to brighten it up. Excellent Fries. reviews as we had eating these burgers. together. A “made by committee” burger. big mac. A little on the high side, it was hard EMILY: Agree! The egg and pâté were lost in to get a proper bite, but great burger. EMILY: MAGNUM & STEINS BERNARD STANLEY GASTROPUB a fug of flavours. The various layers did not Agree! I’ve never had a big mac, not because MIKE: Pounded chicken in a cheese hole! I MIKE: I thought it sounded like a hot mess coalesce and transcend. The spiced lamb patty I am a snob and my body is a palace (though love a good crispy chicken burger and this 6 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST FOOD & DRINKS was a great one. The slaw was amazing, I food is right. This wasn’t a “put a pork belly Local Plonks was so happy with this burger. Juicy portion on it!” entry. It was authentically itself in its of chicken, perfectly prepared. EMILY: Agree! fat and tang. This was pure of heart and taste. And I liked the dipping sauce. The barbecue The bread and meat and sauce were, literally, sauce would have been too sweet if on the made for one another. Words of Wine Wisdom: sandwich, but as dip it was the bouncy castle at the party in my mouth. Only flaw was the SETO Pairing Wine with Your Burger “cheese-jalapeño” bun which had no jalapeño MIKE: Amazing. So much care put into this BY L.P flavour but was heavily/oddly herbed. one that it’s hard to find fault. Honey-glazed amazebun, beautiful beef, no unnecessary The basic burger and cheese burger are friends with almost any red wine. MERCHANT TAVERN parts. If it’s in your budget, you have to eat this. Once you start piling on the fixings, things get more complicated. Raw onion, pickles, MIKE: It’s going for deadly house burger. We EMILY: Agree! Perfect. Exquisitely cooked, and mustards with oomph can blow away delicate drink. So as a match for the beef- had the single. It was well proportioned and plenty of gorgeous yellow cheese dripping just based burgers of the challenge, we selected wines purported to have the heft and all of its parts were great, but it didn’t really so down the side. The whole thing glowing palate power to pair with the patty. For the ultimate American grub job why not seem special to me. EMILY: Agree-ish. It power and tenderness; fat but biteable. This pair up with that most American wine, a brassy Zinfandel. The grape, also known as was delish, as it tasted like a fancy In-N-Out burger is Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. CrljenakKaštelanski and Tribidrag in Crotia or Primitivoin Apulia, arrived in California with cheeseburger -- high praise. The house-made After 15 burgers, I still thought about going The Gold Rush and took to the place. It makes wines with emphatic, bright fruit flavours. American cheese stood out. If there was a back for seconds every night. Zinfandel’s shortcoming can be its excess; too much jam, too much alcohol. cheese category in the contest, this would take the blue ribbon. THE SPROUT DRY CREEK HERITAGE ZINFANDEL ($36.57) Find it in the USA Section The 2014 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel ($36.57) is a top Zin, made from grapes grown MIKE: I really like peas pudding, and jiggs on old vine stock, and tempered with Petite Syrah. It’s silky and full, has a bold fruit PIATTO dinner too, but it didn’t work as a burger for expression. There’s cranberry and cola, maybe even Brio, but in a good way. It’s not MIKE: Just make your excellent pizza b’ys. A me. For one, colossal structural integrity fail. exaggerated, but its high and too-obvious alcohol cuts the flavours short. It’s a struggle frigid, saucy pool coalesced beneath my The small-in-diameter rigid bun could not to tame these wines, this a very good effort if not completely successful. Good, but too burger. The bun ripped in half with gobs of prevent the pea patty from squirting out. And expensive for what you get. maple goat cheese pillowing out from this too much salt in the bun too, salt everywhere. sauce monster.“Sweet Jesus,” I cried out, EMILY: Agree! I, too, am a big peas pudding TRIVENTO RESERVE MALBEC (ON SALE FOR $14.32) “get this friggen burger off of me.” EMILY: fan. But this didn’t cut the mustard pickle. It Find it in the Argentina Section The Argentinians are even bigger meat eaters than Disagree! But I will buy your first burger- was cute, like a round Star Wars droid, but it the Yanks; than anyone but their neighbours in Uruguay. The classic Argentine grape has horror-novel. The red pepper flakes of the was all salt and no sauce. to be Malbec, and it is frequently paired with grilled meat. We think the flavour profile of soppressata pricked my palate’s interest, Malbec is often at odds with beef, but we are willing to be convinced otherwise.The 2012 and balanced the sweet maple goat cheese. TAVOLA Trivento Reserve Malbec was on sale for $14.32. Not a whole lot going on here, straight It was a messy one, but the taste was one of MIKE: One of the best burgers this year. Every forward black raspberry flavour, a touch of alcohol heat, an unexpected green note. There’s the best, the arugula was generous, and the ingredient worked together to make this thing a “grapey” thing we don’t much like. Unremarkable, inoffensive, international, not of any ciabatta bun wasn’t too chewy. delicious. The buttermilk bun makes for some place. Anodyne is a compliment for mass produced drinks like this. But not a lot is lost if it structural integrity issues but I’ll give that a gets overpowered by the ketchup and pickle. Is it worth the budget tariff? Maybe. PJ BILLINGTONS pass because the bun was one of the parts that MIKE: So nice to get out of downtown and made it great. I only wish the cheese came up over the hill. This burger worked great! through stronger. EMILY: Agree! The flavours Beep Beep Boo Yeah! I’m not usually a fan of deep fried things on truly cohered and with the added delight of a my burger, but the hot peppers really made diverse, but not discordant, range of textures. the burger work for me, and the onion ring The onion ring brought crunch and salt and The Overcast App is Available for kept them all in place. EMILY: Agree! Like the patty trusted that onion ring to do its job it’s plebeian name, “The Beefington” was and didn’t bring its own superfluous salt to the Your Android Devices (Again)! not elegant but it satisfied: good lettuce fight. The egg and biscuit pulled as a team. proportions, good ratios all around. The ranch dressing didn’t add anything other than the YELLOWBELLY During the burger challenge, Android users might have requisite lube/moisture. MIKE: The great taste of the mustard with felt a little slighted. To live up to Google's new standards, the fresh cucumber made this stand out. we had to rebuild our app and it was a lenghty process. RELUCTANT CHEF However, I am sick of seeing pork bellies BUT NOW, IT'S BACK. So you can get our 3 posts MIKE: While I appreciate that this entry is one where they do not belong. Less is more. Still, per weekday with a click of a button, whether of the more creative ones, I’m not fond of the a good burger. EMILY: Disagree/Agree! My you use an IOS or Android device. gobs of fat that come with porchetta, or any burger had only a whisper of the cucumber pork bellyish things, so I'm biased. I loved and sauces, a mere looney sized dab. Unlike the greens and the bun, but I found the entire Mike, I usually like pork belly, but mine was thing too oily. EMILY: Disagree! Fat on a fatty not tender and it was distractingly sweet. FOOD & DRINKS 7 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST New Dining The choice to employ Mallard Cottage as the Olio's on the Go: New Pizzeria event's location is partially due to the fact that Series to Focus Brophy works there, but as she also noted, Now Taking Orders the restaurant “fits the rustic, hyper local, on Local, Seasonal BY EVA CROCKER cozy atmosphere we were going for.” Ingredients & The open concept kitchen will also allow What Healthy attendees to watch their food as it is being For a small city, St. John’s has in the coming weeks. Some customers prepared. A little nerve-wracking for the a lot of options for a pizza recommended the restaurant offer a student special, which Hickey is happy to Food Really cooks, Brophy joked, but a treat for the lover; we’ve got everything put in place. “We want students from Holy patrons. Means from greasy late night slices Heart, St. Bon’s, and Memorial University to be able to enjoy the product at a price at Sal’s to the internationally For anyone curious about checking out the point that’s reasonable for them. They’re event, Brophy has the details on acclaimed gourmet fare at Pi. BY WENDY ROSE important customers,” Hickey said. what to expect on March 7. “It's going to be family style, Olio Pizzeria on Harvey Road opened during Allison Connors Some customers complained the meaning it's a communal the string of apocalyptic snowstorms the restaurant’s décor is a little bland, so Hickey Brophy and Stacey "We learned so much in meal ... The food will hit city experienced in early February. Olio is teaming up with Buy My Art, a local Tuttle have formed school about local foods the table, to be shared describes itself as "St. John’s first make- organization that helps artists find venues a partnership to and foraging, and you can't and explored. We really your-own pizzeria." This unique spin on to sell their work. Through the partnership create the "Well really do that in Toronto,” want it to encourage the classic pizza joint model is making the Olio will be hosting a pop-up art gallery in Tuttle said. “But here..." conversation and questions, restaurant a hit in a town already teeming the restaurant. Hickey is excited to be able Winter Dinner with quality ‘za. to improve the restaurant’s aesthetic by and we'll be there to answer Volume 1" at featuring emerging artists. those. We want people to enjoy and Olio takes the make-your-own pizzeria Mallard Cottage. understand what they're eating,” she said. slogan more seriously than you might Hickey says the Post-its are a way of “Instead of having one appetizer, one entrée, expect. In addition to letting customers letting people know, “…we’re serious It's a shareable dinner that will “showcase and one dessert, you can try it all,” Tuttle pick their own toppings from Olio’s about creating a community-centric brand, local and seasonal ingredients, with a shared added. Think along the lines of small plates, ingredients list, staff provide post-it notes something that’s built around exactly what vision to delight your palette, make you feel or a tapas style of serving. Among the list of and encourage visitors to stick their our customers want.” real good, and help shift perceptions on what local ingredients used in Brophy and Tuttle's suggestions and critiques on the wall for healthy food really means." culinary creations, expect seafood, seaweed, everyone to see. “When you walk into Hickey lives near Olio, and says he was Olio, it’s basically like you’re walking into untraditional twists on local root vegetables, inspired to open the restaurant because he When asked how this partnership came to be, greens, leeks, berries, dried mushrooms, a giant suggestion box. We’re taking the loves the idea of having a local pizzeria where idea of 'create your own pizza' even further Brophy explained that it was “kind of a funny preserves, local honey and more. neighbours can get together and hang out. to 'create your own pizzeria’,” explained story.” The pair met six or seven years ago “Hopefully we go from scrappy new pizzeria to founder Trevor Hickey. while working at the same retail store in the The pair would like to make this dinner into a a community fixture that people really enjoy.” Avalon Mall. Both women ended up attending quarterly series of events, changing with the Hickey says most of the suggestions stuck The Institute of Holistic Nutrition: Toronto season. “In summer, we'd like to do a picnic to the walls have been very practical and #yum School of Nutrition, albeit at different times. style event. Lots of fun raw foods, beautiful easily implementable, like reminding summer produce, berries and more,” Tuttle staff to bring napkins, advising cooks to Roasted cherry tomatoes, After continuously running into each other said excitedly. perforate the dough to avoid bubbly crusts, green peppers, sautéed in Toronto and both moving back to their and adding spinach to the menu. However, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, home province, Tuttle and Brophy decided to With tickets now on sale for Well Winter some of the Post-its have been on the goat cheese, pesto, and combine their common interests and work Dinner Volume 1, Brophy and Tuttle said that saucier side; one guest thought serving mozzarella together.“We learned so much in school about they have had a “really good response” to pizzas in zero gravity would be one way “to local foods and foraging, and you can't really the event. “It's been very positive and super make Olio special." do that in Toronto,” Tuttle said. “But here, encouraging,” Brophy said with a smile. “We O After only being open for a couple (of LI everyone goes berry picking. Everyone's Nan just really want people to come out, throw EO has a little garden,” she said with a laugh. off the winter blues and have a positive, cozy very snowy) weeks, Hickey is working on EAT responding to the slew of suggestions Olio CR night, eat some new food, meet some new M/ has received, both through the Post-its and O Despite our short growing season and limited people. Taste, laugh, and drink!” in private messages online. K.C O growing options, both feel that Newfoundland O B E and Labrador has a lot to offer its culinary Well Winter Volume 1 takes place at Mallard There’s been a big demand for a vegan AC F community – a view shared by many local Cottage on March 7 at 7p.m. Tickets are pizza, so Hickey is working on a vegan O: T O chefs, including Mallard Cottage's Todd Perrin. available through eventbrite.ca. recipe he plans to roll out at a pop-up PH 8 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST NEWS & PERSPECTIVES Pop Went provides new insights into exactly which burrowing animals were the most important the World engineers at work on the seafloor. Dr. Duncan McIlroy (Department of Earth Sciences) co-wrote the paper. “For the first M O MUN Research few billion years of life on Earth, life in the C S. L oceans was pretty simple,” said Dr. McIlroy. E X Explains How E “Most of the organic matter ended up on the P O: seafloor, and became permanently buried. " OT We Exist Because H P Some Worms Dug And you know what they say: buried organic material is wasted organic material. So these The Murphy and other programs for jobseekers of all Some Holes new burrowing animals tapped into that ages. “We help all who come through Centre resource. "It was not until the start of the our doors,” says Connie Manning of the Cambrian period, around 542 million years Murphy Centre. “And if we can't provide Celebrating BY CHAD PELLEY ago, that animals like worms and arthropods the service, our outreach coordinators evolved, and started burrowing into the 30 Years can point them in the right direction for 542 million years ago, there was seafloor in search of buried nutrients.” Dr. the services they require.” McIlroy explained. This March a rapid diversification in the In recent years, more and more artists forms of life on planet earth. The research argues that the evolution of are finding their way through their doors, Suddenly, bam, there were more the act of burrowing caused a fundamental BY LAUREN POWER as people working in the arts and culture kinds of animals than ever. This change in the interactions between the Earth’s sector are often stuck in the ebb and chemistry, geology, and biology, which flow of temporary employment. With no period in time is aptly named The Murphy Centre is an ultimately triggered The Cambrian Explosion. attachment to a traditional workplace, "The Cambrian Explosion," and institution in St. John’s, artistic folks need extra. For example, it happened in the sea, before having helped thousands of freelance work isn’t for everybody (ask Digging allowed these animals access to animals realized there was a ton buried (lost!) organic matter, and new habitats people in the Avalon region any freelancer), so the Murphy Centre and niche space, but it also coincidentally also helps people up their job search of land up there to conquer navigate the choppy waters dredged up and introduced oxygen and other game, landing the kind of jobs that keep and colonize. of underemployment and elements to the seafloor environment. These the rent paid and their souls uncrushed. education. “We help people learn how to integrate unearthed elements increased the activity Not only were there more kinds of animals both,” says Sondria Browne, Outreach and diversity of micro-organisms in the after the Cambrian Explosion, the animals Ask someone from town, and they’ll Coordinator at the Murphy Centre. “It’s seafloor sediments by providing a rich new were getting more complex. For the first time likely know about the Murphy Centre’s about broadening the scope of how energy source able to meet a higher metabolic ever, fossils from the Cambrian Explosion work with youth at their alternative high you look at career in terms of the arts. demand for more and more complex animals. captured the existence of animals with school and ABE program. They just might Artistic skills can be translated into many “The process by which animals change an mineralized skeletons, like ours. not be sure where it is. careers, so it’s a matter of how you take environment to their own benefit is known those artistic skills and transfer and as ecosystem engineering. By studying the Things changed a lot in this time, because these 30 years ago, The Brother T.I. Murphy translate them.” fossilized burrows from the earliest Cambrian new animals could burrow into sand and mud. In Centre opened at 95 Water Street, in the rocks preserved in Newfoundland and other words, these new animals could physically location that’s now home to Raymonds. Along with tradespeople and university Labrador, we could apply modern ecological alter their environment, and turn it from a Since then, the organization was reformed grads, The Murphy Centre counts visual methods to try to better understand what 2-dimensional environment to a 3D space. and rechristened “The Murphy Centre,” and artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers these pioneer burrowers were doing, and moved to two locations in centre city. and performers of all ages on their client how their behaviour affected the surrounding Doing so opened up new habitats and niche list. “When someone comes to us, we sediment and water column.” space, which allowed more animals to co- One location (the Academic Site) is home want to know their story,” says Browne. exist (there were new slots in the food chain to their alternative high school, behind “We want to know the whole person.” and physical environment for new animals “The creation of the more 3D Cambrian the College of the North Atlantic’s Prince to exist). A change that vast to an ecosystem world, with positive feedback loops between Philip Drive campus, with nearly 200 Visit the Murphy Centre during their 30th changed the flow of nutrients and inter- microbial productivity in the sediment, and students currently enrolled. The sister anniversary open house event on March relational dynamics on the seafloor. the burrowing organisms that feed on those site (Career Services) can be found in Fall 22 at their Prince Philip Drive location microbes, is an example of ecosystem River Plaza. From their offices above the (back entrance of CNA, 1 Prince Philip New research out of MUN, on fossils from engineering at the grandest scale,” said Dr. Pipers, they offer free career counselling Drive) or call 753-2830. Newfoundland and Labrador, was published McIlroy. “One might even call it biosphere by the Geological Society of London, and engineering!” NEWS & PERSPECTIVES 9 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST SWEET NEWS now, and their celebration of the sap has TBA. Lasting about an hour and a half, warm found a permanent home in Pippy Park with and waterproof footwear is recommended. the establishment of the community tapping The basics of tapping and home syrup grove and workshop site there. production will be covered. You Can Learn to Make Maple Last year’s Maple Syrup Harvest Festival at What you won’t hear much about unless you do Syrup This March At Pippy the park brought 700 attendees. This year, it yourself are the side benefits of making your Park’s Community Tapping Grove on April 2nd, they will be ready to welcome own syrup. At a time when it’s cold and grey that many or more with hot chocolate, and so bloody tempting to stay inside and eat smiles, entertainer Terry Rielly, and syrup stormchips, setting up taps and going to check tastings, competitions and the like. Creating your buckets gets you outside, in nature. You BY FELICITY ROBERTS in the stories of First Nations peoples who community around the syrup making is see the birds return, snowdrops and crocuses first tapped the trees and collected the sap, important to the McBrides. A “sap share” at pop up. You learn how icebergs in the harbour, the industrial production of maple syrup has Pippy Park will allow participants to work the phase of the moon and many other natural Maple syrup is for pancakes, robbed it of much of its magic and mystery. together to harvest the sap and each take a phenomena affect the trees and the sap. Yes, right? It comes from the share to process at home. maple syrup has a terroir, a taste of place, just sap of sugar maples, Quebec While much more easily accessible because like wine. of this, the pale amber syrup favoured by “Post-season we begin by pouring a concrete is the largest producer commercial producers resembles a darker, slab on the site and building an evaporator With a current price tag many times higher globally, and it makes any rich and smoky ‘homebrew’ syrup about and “Cabane a sucre” for use next year – so than oil, this mineral rich sweet treat from the as much as a microwaved fast food burger people can boil down communally around a woods can either break your grocery budget or breakfast better. End of resembles a grass fed beef cheeseburger your fire on a Saturday afternoon as kind of a late bring you and your family closer to nature and story? Hardly. dad barbecued. winter social outlet,“ Steve tells me. your neighbours. See you at the park! And yes, the goats will be there too. "The McBrides give A syrup is a syrup, but as creators of culture, Lisa and Steve McBride, along with their Leading up to the festival, the McBrides will a sincere special thanks to Friends of Pippy humans give the things around us meaning, adorable goats, have been teaching townies be offering free workshops each weekend Park. Their volunteer work makes the park's value. Considered a gift from the Creator about low-tech tree tapping for a few years over March at Pippy, and also one weekday, support possible." g s. g e Si e gnature cocktails. L o c al fr e e r a n g Open concept. Fresh Newfoundland Beef. m e . Big b r u n c h g a Great date ni g ht. Rocket Bakery hamburger buns. Easy online reservation system. International comfort food. Fresh Newfoundland beef. Piano Bar with with live music three days a week. Happy hour 4-7 Thursday-Saturday. 171 WATER STREET Local beer on tap featuring Quidi Vidi & Port Rexton Breweries. Using fresh local ingredients to create a creative dining experience. 10 / MARCH 2017 / THE OVERCAST NEWS & PERSPECTIVES